Hurricanes’ starters as expected vs Florida, but Bain, Brown exit with first-half injuries

The No. 19 Miami Hurricanes waited until Saturday’s season opener against the Florida Gators to unveil their depth chart, which, based on the past two seasons under Mario Cristobal, will likely not be updated during the season.

And while the starters were all but expected, three ultimately ended up leaving with injury in Miami’s 41-17 win.

Reigning ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year Rueben Bain Jr., who started at defensive end opposite Tennessee transfer Tyler Baron started at defensive end, went to the locker room in the first quarter and did not return.

Neither did Damari Brown, who started at outside cornerback alongside Daryl Porter Jr. and also left early in the game with injury.

Cristobal postgame said both Bain and Brown are likely to miss one to two weeks.

Meanwhile, Cristobal said Ryan Rodriguez, who started at left guard, rolled his ankle late in the game and likely will not play next week in Miami’s home opener against FAMU.

As for the other starters...

▪ One key former starter, usual defensive end Akheem Mesidor, returned to the lineup for the first time since last year’s Oct. 14 loss at North Carolina. Mesidor, a 6-3, 280-pound fifth-year senior from Canada, started Saturday inside at defensive tackle opposite 6-3, 290-pound former Michigan State tackle Simeon Barrow Jr.

Mesidor, who had an outstanding season in 2022 after transferring from West Virginia, played in only three games for UM last season because of torn ligaments on the bottom of both feet that required surgery.

▪ Two starting positions had “or’’ between players’ names. The left guard spot on the offensive line listed 6-2, 275-pound redshirt junior Rodriguez or 6-6, 290-pound redshirt sophomore Matthew McCoy.

The rest of the offensive line starters, left tackle Jalen Rivers, center Zach Carpenter, right guard Anez Cooper and right tackle Francis Mauigoa.

The other position with an “or” between players’ names: redshirt junior outside receiver Sam Brown, a Houston transfer; or redshirt sophomore Isaiah Horton. Brown started over Horton.

▪ Other offensive starters: tight end Elijah Arroyo, Oregon State running back transfer Damien Martinez, quarterback Cam Ward, slot receiver Xavier Restrepo and outside receiver Jacolby George.

▪ Porter was listed on the depth chart at the star (slot) corner spot, but started as the outside corner alongside Damari Brown. OJ. Frederique Jr., out of Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas High, was the only freshman listed as a starter on the depth chart, but didn’t start because the Canes began with only two corners.

The safeties: sixth-year senior Washington transfer Mishael “Meesh” Powell and Jaden Harris.

▪ The three starting linebackers were Francisco Mauigoa, Wesley Bissainthe and Jaylin Alderman. Alderman is a redshirt junior Louisville transfer.

Could there be more UM-UF home-and-home series in the future?

Saturday’s game was the first half of a home-and-home series between the Hurricanes and the Gators. UF will face UM in Miami on Sept. 20, 2025. It’s the first home-and-home between the teams since the 2002 and 2003 seasons.

Could more be in store? Miami athletic director Dan Radakovich did not rule it out.

“I look forward to seeing [UF athletic director] Scott [Stricklin] this weekend on the trip,” Radakovich said Monday, “and just in my number of years of being an athletic director, sometimes when you’re on these trips and you have one of these non-conference games is when you really start saying, ‘Hey, this has worked out real well for both sides. Let’s get together in the near future and talk about upcoming opportunities.”

“It is important because this is inside the state of Florida,” Radakovich added. “These young people know one another from being in high school competing against one another. They’re a great SEC opponent and a great historical opponent. That’s why we want to be able to move forward, have some conversations to see if we can put another one on the books here in the not too distant future.”

UM recruit decommits

Linebacker Elijah Melendez, a four-star prospect in the Class of 2025 according to the 247Sports composite rankings, told On3 that he has decommitted from the Hurricanes’ recruiting class.

Melendez had been committed to UM since Dec. 16.

This and that

▪ Miami’s first touchdown of the season: A 9-yard pass from Ward to ninth-year tight end Cam McCormick to cap an 11-play, 84-yard opening drive.

▪ The Hurricanes have one player on their roster from Gainesville: junior cornerback Dyoni Hill, who transferred to UM this offseason from Marshall. Redshirt freshman offensive lineman Tommy Kinsler is from nearby Ocala.

Meanwhile, 10 UF players went to high school in either Miami-Dade or Broward counties: Senior cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. (Miami Palmetto), senior linebacker Derek Wingo (Fort Lauderdale St. Tomas Aquinas), redshirt junior edge rusher Tyreak Sapp (St. Thomas Aquinas), redshirt freshman wide receiver Andy Jean (Miami Northwestern), redshirt freshman running back Anthony Rubio (Miami Belen Jesuit), redshirt junior defensive back Cahron Rackley (Miami Palmetto), redshirt freshman defensive back Brayden Slade (Coconut Creek Monarch), freshman kicker Brandon Rabasco (Hollywood South Broward), junior defensive back Alfonzo Allen Jr. (Miami Central) and redshirt senior defensive back Ethan Wilson (Coral Springs Charter).

▪ The Hurricanes’ captains on Saturday: Ward, Restrepo, Mauigoa, Rivers, Bain and Powell.